Until mandatory minicamp in June, NFL teams cannot require players to be present for offseason work. However, most coaches would tell you privately they'd like to see 100 percent attendance throughout OTAs.
The Detroit Lions have regularly had close to full attendance for the voluntary part of OTAs under head coach Dan Campbell. So when someone is absent, or simply not seen via stuff put out by the team, it stands out.
Linebacker Alex Anzalone has not be present for the offseason program to this point. With the Lions canceling mandatory minicamp, the next time he'll be required to be on-site at Allen Park will be Day 1 of training camp.
Anzalone has missed voluntary offseason work before, so it's not necessarily alarming he hasn't been around. But there's an extra layer this year, as the captain and critical part of the defense enters the final year of his contract. Social media posts from him have hinted that he wants to get a deal done, and it's easy to speculate he might not show up for the start of camp without one.
Alex Anzalone's absence is not (yet) a concern for the Lions
Multiple Lions assistant coaches had sessions with the media on Thursday. While linebackers coach Shaun Dion Hamilton avoided directly answering questions about Anzalone's absence from offseason work, defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard did not avoid the topic at all when asked if he was concerned.
“Zero concern. Me and Alex are all good,” Sheppard said. “I have zero concern. That player’s a leader here, he’s been a leader here. He’s been an intricate piece in building the culture that’s here, and I’m gonna pay the respect that he’s earned and that he’s due, and whatever his private situations are, I’ll let Alex address those when he’s face-to-face with you all. What I can tell you, as far as it concerns me, it has no effect on how I see Alex or how I view him. That’s one of our captains, he’s been one of our captains, and I still see it as such.”
The Lions have prioritized keeping core players around when the time comes for a new contract. Anzalone is undeniably a core player, and amid all of last year's injuries to the defense it can be argued he was the most notable loss when he was out six games with a broken forearm.
That said, Anzalone is also entering his age-31 season. So if contract negotiations are happening, it's a tricky balance between the value/impact he has right now and how that might erode going forward.
General manager Brad Holmes has consistently deferred to the cost of contract extensions as a reason for not making notable outside additions. But at some point something, or someone, will have to give when it comes to those contract extensions.
Anzalone might be the key Lions' player who ultimately can't be kept around on a contract that fully reflects his market value. But for now, as expected, Sheppard led the way in making it known there is no concern about his absence from voluntary offseason stuff.
